Would you like to meet us or ask a question? Join us for a virtual webinar on 18 November 2020 at 15:30 CET. Save the date in your diary and join our virtual webinar on Human Rights.

There is no doubt that COVID-19 has turned our world upside down. It has brought to the fore – and exacerbated – different forms of inequality. This is especially true amongst high-risk and vulnerable groups. Children and young people have been denied their education. Violence against women and LGBTI persons has increased. Democracy and the rule of law have been undermined in some countries.

Human rights matter. They matter whether we are in a pandemic or not. Human rights are the foundations for sustainable growth, peace and security, and fair and open societies – not an afterthought or something that can be ignored when things get tough.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights makes it clear that we have an obligation to ensure respect for, and the observance of, human rights and fundamental freedoms for all. But this isn’t enough. We know that the existence of international treaties and resolutions will not necessarily stop countries, groups or individuals from abusing or violating these rights.

A growing trend

Back in the 1980s, Sweden was the first country in Europe to appoint a Human Rights Ambassador. They started a growing trend. Today, nine European countries have dedicated positions: Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Luxemburg, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

These appointments signal our countries’ strong collective commitment to protecting and promoting international human rights obligations. It also demonstrates that our governments recognise the need to mainstream human rights into broader foreign policy objectives.

Our exact priorities may differ but what unites us is a shared personal and professional passion for human rights. We meet often as a group and issue regular joint statements via social media, because joining forces puts us in a stronger position to stand up against human rights violations and abuses, and better enables us to protect the most vulnerable in society.

Our pledge

We pledge to use our collective voice to:

Raise human rights concerns during the pandemic. We will continue to highlight issues of particular concern including shrinking civil society space; combating rising levels of racism and xenophobia; and highlighting the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on minorities, LGBTI persons, journalists, activists, as well as women and girls.
Work with and strengthen the multilateral system. We are committed to strengthening the multilateral system so that it can better protect and promote human rights – forums such as the UN Human Rights Council are essential in upholding established global norms and international legal responsibilities.
Reach all corners of the globe. Through our visits to and engagement with different parts of the world, we want to encourage dialogue and exchange best practice. We recognise that all countries are different and some may need capacity building support.
Ensure no one is left behind. We engage directly with civil society, victims of human rights violations and abuses, businesses, academia, experts and young people around the world to hear first-hand testimonies. We want to share these stories.
Protect Human Rights Defenders, even when it is difficult to do so. They have a powerful and unique role but also expose themselves to danger because of the work that they do. We will continue to celebrate their courage and protect them as far as we can.

Together our voices are louder. We will continue to speak out. Read more and learn about the new Ambassadors via the Government of Netherlands